(a) The board shall create the Employers for Education Excellence Award to honor employers that implement a policy to encourage and support employees who actively participate in activities of schools.

(b) An employer that meets the criteria described by this section may apply for consideration to receive the award.

(c) The board shall establish the following levels of recognition for employers:

• (1) bronze for an employer that implements a policy to encourage and support employees who attend parent-teacher conferences;

• (2) silver for an employer that:

• (A) meets the requirements of bronze; and

• (B) implements a policy to encourage and support employees who volunteer in school activities; and

• (3) gold for an employer that:

• (A) meets the requirements of silver; and

• (B) implements a policy to encourage and support employees who participate in student mentoring programs in schools.

(d) The board shall establish criteria to certify businesses to receive the Employers for Education Excellence Award at the appropriate level of recognition. The commissioner shall review the applications submitted by employers under Subsection (b) and make recommendations to the board regarding businesses that should be recognized and the level at which a business should be recognized. The board may approve or modify the commissioner’s recommendation.

(e) The board shall honor the recipient of an Employers for Education Excellence Award by presenting the recipient with a suitable certificate that includes the business’s level of recognition and other appropriate information.

(a) This section applies to an employee who is a parent of a child who is a student attending a grade from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

(b) An employee may use up to eight hours of sick leave each fiscal year to attend educational activities of the employee’s children.

(c) An employee shall give reasonable advance notice of the employee’s intention to use the sick leave to attend an educational activity.

(d) In this section:

• (1) “Educational activity” means a school-sponsored activity, including a parent-teacher conference, tutoring, a volunteer program, a field trip, a classroom program, a school committee meeting, an academic competition, and an athletic, music, or theater program

• (2) “Employee” has the meaning assigned by Section 661.001.

• (3) “Parent” means a person standing in parental relation.